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Mental Disorders In Schools

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Manuel sits anxiously in the pale classroom, continuously shifting his focus from object to object, twiddling his thumbs, and chewing gum. His eyes roll back in their sockets, lackadaisical in motion, until a sharp, stern voice cuts through the air like a knife. His teacher pointed him out, scolding him, knowing he hasn’t been paying attention. Anxiety courses through Manuel’s veins; he not only feels like everyone sets their eyes on him like a predator spotting it’s prey, but he feels they are all laughing at him. The teacher rants for what felt like an eternity before he is sent to the office. Many cases, like Manuel’s, are commonplace in the school’s harsh environment. Students have been singled out for the sake of desperate discipline and …show more content…

According to the Association for Children’s Mental Health website, “addressing mental health needs in school is critically important because 1 in 5 children and youth have a diagnosable emotional, behavioral or mental health disorder and 1 in 10 young people have a mental health challenges that is severe enough to impair how they function at home, school or in the community” (ACMH). There are many mental disorders that are overlooked in school and should be addressed to avoid problems in the future. Each that can affect not only the individual student, but also can impact other students and create a ripple effect and influence far more than just one person. Mental health conditions need to be addressed because they could lead to future problems. As claimed by a brochure by National Alliance on Mental Illness, “approximately 50% of students ages 14 and older with a mental illness drop out of high school” (NAMI). If these children are not getting the help they need at a young age, it could lead to them quitting school. The amount of teens with mental health conditions is a great number. For example, there are many children who suffer from anxiety. As stated by Elements Behavioral Health, “anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental illnesses and affect 25 percent of all teens” (Elements Behavioral

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